Top 10 Beauty and Fashion Wish List

My Shopaholic self has recently eyed up some beauty and fashion pieces I want I want I want. Forget that I neeeeeeeeeed in my life. 

 L'ancome La Maison Makeup Palette (I'll admit I'm interested because of the tres chic packaging as I am a sucker for packaging and the fact that the bronzer is shaped into an eiffel tower. C'est magnifique)

Marc Jacobs Lolita Eyeshadow Palette as recommended by Fleur de Force. I dont usually want palettes as I find they're a waste for if I'm wearing eye shadow I only ever wear shimmery golds and browns. This is why this palette is perfect. 

 Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet La Fascinate #38 Matte Lipstick. Cant go wrong with classic Chanel red. Such a gorgeous colour. This is the one they used in the campaign when they launched it. 

 MAC Girl About Town Lipstick. I used to love pink then I hated it for a while but I think my love for pink has been resurrected. Such a nice girly colour reminds me of a girls night out sipping on cosmos. So Sex and the City. 

 Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub (I heard this smells of Mojitos, my favourite cocktail) 

Macadamia Natural Oil Hair Mask. Such a cult product I need to try out 

Dior Midnight Poison. A forgotten scent I used up ages ago. I want it back 

Micheal Kors Rose Gold Stone Plated watch. They're so mainstream these days. I'm not one to give into mainstream but this is an exception soo beautiful I love anything rose gold. 

The Celine Leopard Print Tote as seen on the gorgeous Rosie Huntington Whitley. She could make a bing bag look fashionable. Im so obsessed with Leopard Print though this called to me. Celine bags have been growing in popularity. But no wonder this bag is such arm candy I want it! 

Not a beauty product but I am obsessed with peanut butter, my new addiction - Ben and Jerrys Peanut Butter Cup - Better then Sex! and omgg when I found out there was such a thing as peanut butter pop tarts I thought gimmie some of that!! Peanut Butter Kit Kats and Reeses Cups probably have got nothing on these. 

Diet Tips and Tricks for a healthy new you

So I've recently fallen into a disgusting habit of not getting enough sleep, falling behind on my exercise regime, booze and reaching for convenience food. This always tends to happen during the wet cold and dreary Winter months where I'm stuck in doors - Seasonal Affective Disorder as I become lazy, unmotivated and eat out of boredom. I don't really suffer from S.A.D I just say I do because I love Summer so much and in Summer I don't need motivation the Vitamin D I've soaked up from the sun just generally puts me in a good mood, makes me want to get up early because who wants to sleep in and miss out on tanning time. I also eat better without intending too, Summer is all about the salads, watermelon slices and ice tea. 

As spring is near which means no more having to wear Winter coats woo, I find there is nothing worse then walking around with unwanted Winter fat and having to hide it away behind a Winter coat even though that season has passed. So I might as well start getting fit now so I can enjoy it when it comes around rather then spending the first couple of weeks battling with the bulge.

Here are just some tips and tricks I use for when I eat great I feel great physically and mentally as looking good on the outside is all about feeling good on the inside.

Breakfast:

 I love starting my day off with Oat So Simple Apple and Blueberry. Some people think skipping breakfast will keep them skinny. When you skip a meal your body goes into starvation mode as it doesn't know when it will next get fed, this slows down the metabolism and stores everything you eat after straight into fat. Its important to eat a proper breakfast as your less tempted to snack during the day and in fact statistics show those that skip breakfast end up consuming more calories during the day  and are twice as likely to become overweight then those who eat a proper breakfast as hunger and cravings attack. Porridge oats not only are they delicious they are a good way to start your day because they release energy slowly keeping you full up until lunch time. 

 Along with porridge oats I will have a piece of fruit to start off my 5 a day. Pink Lady Apples are my favourite and a good way to boost your immune system. Its true when they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. 

I will also drink a cup of herbal tea. Have recently been loving the new Lipton Blueberry Muffin tea. It smells absolutely amazing like I've just baked a fresh batch of blueberry muffins. If your someone who like strong tasting teas I wouldnt recommend as Its very light in taste which is perfect for me as I love light tasting teas hence why Im such a fan of green tea. But it wouldnt hurt to switch as its only 4 calories per bag. I used to love Whittard's instant teas such as Dream Time and Turkish apple, as delicious as they are its not something I can drink everyday because they contain a lot of sugar so not very good for the waistline and dont exactly contain the best ingredients. Herbal teas are pretty much all natural. 

How to trick your brain into eating less: 

Scientists on secret eaters conducted experiments and found that there were certain variables which made people eat more then they should because of how the brain was tricked. Here are just some things you could do to trick your brain into eating less: 

. Eat out of a small bowl/plate. The bigger the bowl/plate the more likely you are to increase your portion of food. 

. Make sure the plate is a different colour to your food. If the colour of the food blends into the colour of your plate you will end up piling on more food without realising as it wont stand out. 

. Drink out of a tall long glass rather then a short wide glass. A tall long glass will give you the illusion that there is more liquid in it rather then a short wide glass where you will end up pouring more liquid. 

. Don't go shopping on an empty tummy. Super markets purposely have fruit and veg on one end and bread and milk on the other end so that when your walking from one end to the other you're in perfect view of fatty food. Fatty food releases energy quickly which is why when hungry people tend to grab it for a quick fix. By going shopping hungry you end up making impulse buys of food you normally wouldn't get if you came on a full tummy. 

. Cravings only last 15-20 minutes so distract yourself by going for a walk. 

. If you do get a craving for chocolate rather then getting a fatty mars bar get something like a milky way or marshmallows as there isn't that much fat and calories in them. 

Other health tips include: 

. Go to sleep at a decent time. Between 10pm and Midnight. Your body repairs itself in it's sleep, this is the best time to get your beauty sleep. Having a decent sleep will make you feel more alert and motivated and you will eat less because you wont have missed breakfast by sleeping in. 

. Drink 3-4 cups of green tea a day. It suppresses your appetite, amazing for weight loss as it helps with fat burning and improves cognitive skills. It's also great for keeping you looking young as it it contains anti oxidants. 

. Drink 2 litres of water a day. It hydrates your body, amazing for weight loss because you're flushing out toxins and bad chemicals and great for your skin as it gives it a healthy glow. 

. Don't eat carbohydrates after 6pm 

. Don't eat food after 8pm 

. Avoid red meat 

. No fizzy drinks that includes the diet ones because the sodium in fizzy drinks blocks the fat from escaping from your body. 

. Avoid alcohol because the calorie content is like pure fat. People make the mistake of thinking its the sugar in alcohol that makes it so calorific. Alcohol is its own fat. The fat in alcohol is equivalent to a fatty lardy roast dinner. 

DIY Pink and White Polka Dot Nails using a Bobby Pin

Other then the obvious use of pinning back fly aways, who knew a bobby pin could be so useful. When it comes to nail art lets just say I fail epically in that department. All previous attempts of super cute and super chic manicures where just major flops. After watching an episode of super scrimpers which is something I've recently gotten into as my shopaholic self needs this in my life for Im doing a Becky Bloomwood and trying to change my ways, one of the money saving beauty tips was  a DIY Polka Dot manicure. She simply whipped out a bobby pin from her hair, spread it, dipped it in nail varnish and started dotting it on her nails. In just under 5 minutes she had the cutest looking manicure, which you would pay a lot for in a nail salon, free. I just don't have the patience for arty detail as I know usually how fiddly and how long nail art takes. This is why I loved how quick, easy and simple it all was. All thanks to a bobby pin. It looks really professional as well like time and effort has gone into it when really it was done in under 5 minutes. You can also use it for other looks such as leopard print nails, hearts etc. I will definitely be playing around with my nails from now on as Im suddenly feeling really arty. So my nail look of the month. Loves it! 

Nail Polishes: Barry M - Strawberry Ice Cream
                        L.A. Colors - Energy Source  

Nails of the Week - Smurfette Blue

I know the official name of this tag is NOTD (Nails of the day), I'm not sure about you but I'm not one to paint my nails everyday, fair enough if you do but I mean thats just nail suicide. Once a week is how I roll. Anyhow I was never a fan of blue just not really my colour choice for clothes, maybe because it was the colour of my school blazer and ive just associated it with that but something about the colour of blue nails it's just grown on me and I'm really loving the look. 

So you cant exactly tell in the picture because of the lighting but the shade I have on atm is Barry M - Blueberry Ice Cream thats the official name, I like to call it Smurfette Blue because thats exactly what it looks like on. Gotta love good old Barry M gorgeous shades, high OPI quality, amazing price only £2.99. Loves it 

LUSH Oatifix Fresh Face Mask Review for Sensitive Skin

Ever get those days where you just wake up feeling like well complete and utter shit really and all you want to do is ship yourself to a spa for the rest of the week. Why spend £100+ on a spa weekend when you can spend £5.95 on this little baby which will sort you right out. So lately I feel like my skin has been looking quite tired and run down. Of my own making of course, Uni life consists of sleepless nights, early starts, a crappy diet, caffeine, drinking and the occasional cigarettes here and there naughty naughty. My skins worst nightmare, no wonder I look like a withered dried up old weed rather then a healthy vibrant rose. A solution in the long run would be to go all out and start drinking 2 litres of water a day, eating 5 a day, getting a good nights sleep, cutting back on the junk, alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes, and exercising... which is something I intend to do as this bad lifestyle is making me feel quite sick. But I am in need of a quick fix. I've tested out all the Lush face masks but Oatifix by far is my favourite I swear by it and always end up reverting back to this one as it works the best for my skin type which is dry and sensitive. 

A blend of oatmeal to gently cleanse polish and exfoliate, bananas, almonds and vanilla to soften, nourish and moisturise and illipe butter to cool and reduce redness. Unlike other face masks like cuppy cake which I'd recommend if you have oily skin not sensitive because it's heavy and dries out, just doesn't work well for my sensitive skin as I found it to be quite harsh, Oatifix is perfect for sensitive skin because its a light formula that doesn't dry out on your face and paired with cucumbers on the eyes it will leave your skin feeling like you've peeled off the old layer to reveal a young fresh glowing moisturised face. If you're one of those people who's bad lifestyle comes to haunt you on your skin this will cover up that problem so you no longer have it staring back at you in the mirror, no one will know you had a cheat week in your diet. Not to mention this stuff smells incredable like banana cake mixture I have to resist the erge to drool as I could eat it. But don't, even though it's natural ingredients i've tried it out and lets just say it doesn't taste as good as it smells sadly. Please could they bottle this scent so I can sniff it all day.

Don't forget to store these in the fridge as they work best when stiff other wise its like trying to apply gooey baby food which will just run right off your face. 

I have it on right now as I'm typing this because thats how freaking amazing this stuff is ahhh can literally get high off the smell of Lush products. Unintentional solvent abuse, Lush's way of making me come back for more

MAC Diva Lipstick Review

So ever since I've crossed over to the dark side, i.e. I'm not a natural blonde anymore I am in fact brunette, I have completely changed my makeup look. Before I was all about the brown smokey eyes and neutral lips whereas now I'm all about the neutral eyes and bold lips. Never do both always one or the other because then it just looks a bit ott, like an in your face mask of makeup, like you've tried too hard and very drag queenesque. It also confuses people as their unsure whether you are trying to draw attention to your eyes or your lips. Less is more. Personally I love the subtle eyes and red lipstick look against dark hair. Very snow white/Russian beauty. So far I've been in love with Mac Ruby Woo a gorgeous classic red perfect for fairer skin tones as unlike Lady Danger which is for tan skin because of its orange undertones, Ruby Woo has got bluey undertones making it perfect for cooler skin. It also has that retro feel to it as it reminds me of something a pin up girl would wear/ a vintage holly wood beauty because it's very Chanelesque. As it is Winter, no colours say winter best then deep reds whether its raspberry, wine, burgundy or oxblood. Exactly why I've swapped out my cherry tomato red nail polish for Barry M Red Black and now have decided to do the same with my Mac Ruby Woo and invested in Diva.

Like many I'm sure getting out of bed in the cold winter months when the moon is still out is a struggle so I always come to the decision that I'd rather spend 20 minutes longer in bed even though that means 20 minutes less spent on my appearance. This is why I love lipstick. Eye shadow takes too much time to apply you need to think about the base, the inner corner, outer corner blending etc. With lipstick you can literally roll right out of bed sweep on some mascara and lipstick et voila you look like a movie star and no one will know it only took 5 minutes or less.

This colour is perfect for the Winter months. Diva is a gorgeous matte deep red that you can intensify with Mac's Burgundy lip pencil as this stops the lipstick from bleeding and also gives it something to grab onto meaning you don't have to reapply as often. The beauty with Mac lipsticks is they hardly need to be reapplied anyhow unlike Rimmel which comes off practically as soon as you apply it. I practically got through an entire Rimmel lipstick in one night as literally every 5 minutes I had to go to the powder room because all those bar snacks and cocktails certainly didn't help. Its bad enough it comes off without moving my mouth so you could only imagine the pain I went through. Mac on the other hand doesn't budge at all so £15 is definitely worth the investment and comes out cheaper in the long run. I was sceptical but I've given in. Once you go Mac you never go back.

I used to associate burgundy lipstick with Camden Town Goth which is probably why I avoided it in the past but now I've seen a whole new light.

Steal their style...

Keira Knightly looking tres Chic

Natasha Poly gorgeous as ever

Not entirely sure who she is but what a beaut.


Drugstore dupes...

Revlon Black Cherry £7.49

Topshop Beguiled £8

Collection 2000 Gothic Glam in Revenge £2.99

Nivea Lip Butter Vanilla and Macadamia Review

I am a sucker for anything with a classic Vanilla scent just because its so simple yet so delicious and reminds me of my Granny's baking as she cant help but use vanilla sugar and vanilla essence in all her tasty treats. This is probably one of the reasons why I was drawn to this product, in all honesty I didn't expect it to do much from me I just couldn't resist the smell. But OMG this stuff is literally heaven for the lips its soo hydrating and moisturising protects your lips for hours from drying out and cracking. It also leaves a nice sheer shimmer on your lips kind of like lip gloss. And I know ive already made this point but it smells soo incredibly good. All these factors combined now I know why its called a lip butter if I could I would get a spreading knife, slather it all over a piece of toast (because it literally spreads on your lips like butter) and eat it.

What's in my Victoria's Secret Makeup Bag

Absolutely love this bag, bought it during my last Victoria's Secret visit. Every previous bag seems to end up being too small. However this is the perfect size for a product junkie like me as it can hold a lot of goodies. Plus its tres tres chic. Enjoy  

 Makeup Bag by Victoria's Secret £38

 Makeup Brushes by Victoria's Secret £40
Foundation Brush by Clinique £20

 No7 Colour Calming Primer £10
Garnier BB Cream £7
Clinique even better foundation £20

 Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat highlighter £25
Collection lasting perfection concealer £3.99

 Rimmel Stay Matte Powder £4.99
Benefit Hoola Bronzer £20

Playboy Tie Me to the Bedpost blush £6.99
Playboy Pink Pussycat blush £6.99

 No7 Eyelash Curlers £10
Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner £10
Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara in Black Ruby for Green Eyes £7
Max Factor Masterpiece High definition Mascara £7

 Natural Collection Eyeshadow in Asteroid £2.99
Victoria's Secret Ultimate Look Shadow Trio in Smoke Signals £10

Vaseline Lip Therapy in Rosy Lips £3.99
Fruit and Vitamine Vanilla Lip Oil £2
Victoria's Secret Smooth Kiss Glossy Lip Butter in Ooh La La £10

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip plumper £10
Sally Hansen Lip Inflation lip plumper £5

 MAC Lip Pencil in Burgundy £7

MAC Diva lipstick £15
Lancome Rouge a Levres lipstick £25
MAC Ruby Woo lipstick £18
Rimmel Lily Extase £5.99
MaxFactor Lilac Wine £6.99
Rimmel Shake Up Pink £5.99

Victoria's Secret Shiny Kiss: Taffy Go Lucky £10
Candy Baby £10
Passionfruit pop £10
Grapefruit Blast £10

 Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Flash £20

Victoria's Secret Rockin Body Perfecting Glow Body Shimmer £10
Britney Spears Curious Shimmer Stick £8